1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a reactor unit with a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is formed by the interior of a housing, and wherein the second chamber is formed by the interior of a plurality of hollow fibers disposed in the housing.
2. Description of Prior Art
Different types of such reactor units are known and are used, for instance, to grow human or animal cells of different origin or are employed, for instance, in the artificial liver or pancreas replacement therapy.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,998 a reactor is known, which includes a rotatably mounted reactor unit which contains a medium with cells to be grown. Supplying the cell medium with oxygen and discharging the CO2 formed is achieved by means of a permeable wall of the reactor unit.
From WO 03/105663 A2, a liver support system is known, which includes a reactor unit with a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber is formed by the interior of a housing and the second chamber is formed by the interior of hollow fibers of a bundle of hollow fibers accommodated in the housing. The hepatocytes are contained in the first chamber. In one embodiment of the reactor described, the blood plasma is passed through the interior of the hollow fibers, i.e. through the second chamber. The mass transfer is effected via the hollow fiber membranes. The hollow fibers are designed straight and extend in longitudinal direction of the housing. From WO 04/050864 A1 a bioreactor is known, in which there is provided a chamber containing the cells to be grown, which by means of a membrane is separated from a supply and discharge conduit carrying a nutrient medium.
As explained above, the above-mentioned reactor units can for instance be used to grow cells. Another field of use is therapy, for instance the liver and pancreas replacement therapy. Prior art reactor units thus for instance have a first chamber for cultivating cells, through which extends a supply circuit formed by the second chamber, through which flows a nutrient medium or blood or blood components. The second chamber generally is formed by a bundle of hollow fiber membranes, wherein substances are exchanged with the medium in the first chamber via the membranes of the hollow fibers. It is usually provided that larger units, such as e.g. cells, cannot pass the membrane of the hollow fibers. By means of such a reactor unit, the cells in the first chamber can be supplied with nutrient, and metabolic products can be discharged. In the case of the above-mentioned use of the reactor unit as artifical liver, substances from the blood are exchanged with the chamber, which substances then are metabolized by liver cells.
The above-mentioned processes require a good mass transfer between the first chamber and the second chamber of the reactor unit. It is the object of the present invention to develop a reactor unit as mentioned above such that the reactor unit has improved mass transfer properties as compared to known reactor units.